In 11.1, there’s an option to show the plasma dashboard. When I select
it, the kicker disappears and a little inverted tab appears at the top
of the screen that says “Plasma” or something like that. But as soon as
I click anywhere it disappears and the kicker comes back. Can someone
explain what is supposed to happen? KDE 4.1 is the goofiest thing…
Kevin Miller
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska
Registered Linux User No: 307357, http://counter.li.org
Dashboard is a mode to show your desktop plasmoids only or in foreground of your open windows (depending on compositing enabled or not).
can you please explain this with the language that a newbee can understand.
a lot of times people like me who are totally new to linux and basically have no experteis or any idea how the system of linux works,(and the only reason they are here is ,because they like to learn)ask some questions about this totally new world without having any basic background about linux and its terms ,instead of getting some type of clear answeres that can be useable for a newbee,they get some type of answeres which will double their questions and, now they have to find out what the answere to that question means.
unfortunately ,the friends who post the answeres ( there is no doubt in my mind that they have the greatest intention to help ),they assume that they are dealing with somebody who has the same level of knowledge about linux or suse as themselves…but if that was the case ,there was no need to ask any questions to begin with.
I hope ,i did not offend anybody,i am certainly here to learn and do not like to waste anybody’s valuable time ,with question after question about the same problem.
thank you all.
Mike,
sure, we will happily try to explain anything. If you are interested in a reply and you don’t understand it, just ask for a clarification.
In this case:
Normally (KDE3, Windows XP, whatever) you log in to your computer and you see a desktop. This is an analogy to your real office desktop, i.e., you have stuff on it: Tools (applications) and documents you work with. Some people have messy desktops, others have a tidy desktop.
KDE4 changed this approach: What you see isn’t the desktop, but a dashboard (think “car”, not “office” any longer). You aren’t supposed to have apps and documents on your dashboard, but small applets/widgets delivering information directly, without opening an app through an icon.
Common applets on a dashboard would be:
A clock
Post-it like notes
Some small applet showing disk usage
Another one showing CPU usage
An RSS feed
So, the dashboard is information, not storage.
Some of us have to do work with the computer, unfortunately. This means you have a Window sitting in front of the dashboard (like a browser, Oen Office Org writer, KMail) so you cannot see the information on the dashboard.
That’s what the “Show dashboard” widget is for: When you click it, it will bring all the dashboard widgets to the front and will dim your active applications.
The latest KDE4.2 Beta makes use of it and allows you to place widgets on the screensaver: That’s very cool. The screensaver starts and you see CPU temp, the clock, an RSS newsfeed, all stuff like that.
I hope this makes it clearer.
Uwe
Sure helped me! 
Absolutely.This is what i call a clear explain to a question and it sure does not answere a question with a new question.thank you very much for understanding.
mike
Hello,
I’ m new to Opensuse.
Started using it a few weeks a go. Began with 10.3, but upgraded to 11.1.
After installing and looking arround in the system I’ve noticed this tool called dashboard…, but, how can i retrieve the dashboard, after clicking on the small redcross in the lower corner???:sarcastic:
Did this, Plasma dashboard was gone after that, never found it back since.::
I use Opensuse 11.1.
On an ACER 1350 laptop
512 mb
120 GB
Robbie-san
To get your Dashboard back, right click on the menu bar and select “add plasmoid” (or something like that).
Find View Dashboard and click on the star to have a + sign then press the button ‘Add plasmoid’.
It worked for me.
This was such a nice thread about the plasma dashboard, thanks buckesfeld - now it’s clearer for me also. 
@Robbie-san
Please keep this forum organized, and if you have some problem what isn’t solved yet, open a new thread about it.
@fernveilleux
Next time include a message something like this^^ in your answer.
Hi,
I have deleted my Plasma Dashborad accidently, can someone please help to restore it? I:( can’t find it on the desktop.
Dashboard is a mode to show your desktop plasmoids only or in foreground
of your open windows (depending on compositing enabled or not).
Beineri’s Profile: http://forums.opensuse.org/member.php?userid=108
View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=402539
can you please explain this with the language that a newbee can
understand.
a lot of times people like me who are totally new to linux and
basically have no experteis or any idea how the system of linux
works,(and the only reason they are here is ,because they like to
learn)ask some questions about this totally new world without having any
basic background about linux and its terms ,instead of getting some type
of clear answeres that can be useable for a newbee,they get some type of
answeres which will double their questions and, now they have to find
out what the answere to that question means.
unfortunately ,the friends who post the answeres ( there is no doubt
in my mind that they have the greatest intention to help ),they assume
that they are dealing with somebody who has the same level of knowledge
about linux or suse as themselves…but if that was the case ,there was
no need to ask any questions to begin with.
I hope ,i did not offend anybody,i am certainly here to learn and do
not like to waste anybody’s valuable time ,with question after question
about the same problem.
thank you all.
mikearzan’s Profile: http://forums.opensuse.org/member.php?userid=18994
View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=402539
Mike,
sure, we will happily try to explain anything. If you are interested in a reply and you don’t understand it, just ask for a clarification.
In this case:
Normally (KDE3, Windows XP, whatever) you log in to your computer and you see a desktop. This is an analogy to your real office desktop, i.e., you have stuff on it: Tools (applications) and documents you work with. Some people have messy desktops, others have a tidy desktop.
KDE4 changed this approach: What you see isn’t the desktop, but a dashboard (think “car”, not “office” any longer). You aren’t supposed to have apps and documents on your dashboard, but small applets/widgets delivering information directly, without opening an app through an icon.
Common applets on a dashboard would be:
A clock
Post-it like notes
Some small applet showing disk usage
Another one showing CPU usage
An RSS feed
So, the dashboard is information, not storage.
Some of us have to do work with the computer, unfortunately. This means you have a Window sitting in front of the dashboard (like a browser, Oen Office Org writer, KMail) so you cannot see the information on the dashboard.
That’s what the “Show dashboard” widget is for: When you click it, it will bring all the dashboard widgets to the front and will dim your active applications.
The latest KDE4.2 Beta makes use of it and allows you to place widgets on the screensaver: That’s very cool. The screensaver starts and you see CPU temp, the clock, an RSS newsfeed, all stuff like that.
I hope this makes it clearer.
Uwe
Sure helped me!
Prexy’s Profile: http://forums.opensuse.org/member.php?userid=233
View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=402539
Absolutely.This is what i call a clear explain to a question and it sure
does not answere a question with a new question.thank you very much for
understanding.
mike
mikearzan’s Profile: http://forums.opensuse.org/member.php?userid=18994
View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=402539
Hello,
I’ m new to Opensuse.
Started using it a few weeks a go. Began with 10.3, but upgraded to
11.1.
After installing and looking arround in the system I’ve noticed this
tool called dashboard…, but, how can i retrieve the dashboard,
after clicking on the small redcross in the lower
corner???:sarcastic:
Did this, Plasma dashboard was gone after that, never found it back
since.::
I use Opensuse 11.1.
On an ACER 1350 laptop
512 mb
120 GB
Robbie-san
Robbie-san’s Profile: http://forums.opensuse.org/member.php?userid=17337
View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=402539
To get your Dashboard back, right click on the menu bar and select “add
plasmoid” (or something like that).
Find View Dashboard and click on the star to have a + sign then press
the button ‘Add plasmoid’.
It worked for me.
fernveilleux’s Profile: http://forums.opensuse.org/member.php?userid=21502
View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=402539
This was such a nice thread about the plasma dashboard, thanks
buckesfeld - now it’s clearer for me also.
@Robbie-san
Please keep this forum organized, and if you have some problem what
isn’t solved yet, open a new thread about it.
@fernveilleux
Next time include a message something like this^^ in your answer.
ram88’s Profile: http://forums.opensuse.org/member.php?userid=1058
View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=402539